Bailey Thompson | News Editor
Brightly colored orbs are being carefully placed all around Monmouth Avenue — waiting to be found. All throughout the week leading up to Easter Sunday, students might notice the ongoing Easter egg hunt that is being hosted by WOU Student Veterans of America from April 15-18.
Just by returning any eggs that they find to the Veterans Resource Center in the lower level of the Werner University Center, students will win a prize.
“We hide eggs on Monmouth Avenue on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and students have all week to come in and win a prize,” said Cole Hendren, Communications Officer for SVA. “Each person is allotted two eggs per day, and then you can only win one of the major prizes.”
While the majority of the prizes are smaller things like candy, the club is also giving away board games, sporting equipment, gift cards to local restaurants and more. Some of their bigger prizes include a 55-inch Smart TV and a Roku.
How can students win prizes like the TV, then?
“You’ve got to find the right egg,” said Hendren. “Each egg has a little note inside, and the note has a number. Then the number corresponds to a list that we have where the numbers are connected to each prize… so we have no idea putting them out which ones they are.”
Reflecting on their hopes for the event, Stephanie Mahoney, SVA Chapter President, shared that the club is trying to make this one of their biggest community events of the year.
“We’ve been trying to make this one of our club traditions to make this an annual event to let people know that we’re here as well as to connect with other students,” said Mahoney.
Hendren also shared how this event is strategically placed to reach out to students at a time of the year when many might feel sad at not being able to go home to their families.
“I think, for a lot of kids who can’t go home for Easter but who do celebrate it, this is a cool deal,” said Hendren. “It’s a nice ‘hey, you’re not alone.’ We’re all here together, and if you can’t go home, that’s okay.”
Looking forward to the rest of the year, a few of the SVA events that Mahoney and Hendren are excited for are a headstone cleaning on Memorial Day, a banquet with the Veterans Resource Center and a panel during Diversity Week where student veterans share their experiences.
One final thing that Mahoney and Hendren emphasized is that the WOU Student Veterans of America is not exclusively a club for veterans — anyone can join.
“When you have a group like this where a bunch of veterans get together, it gives you a sense of family again,” said Hendren.
Students can learn more about the Student Veterans of America by visiting them in the Veterans Resource Center of by attending one of their biweekly club meetings that take place on Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. in WUC 108.
Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu
Photo by Ashlynn Norton
